Things Better Left Unsaid
by OneFightAlone
Summary: A boy must save his world from the evil that is the Dark Genie! How his story really goes... There will be pairings, or rather, a pair later on. Watch for language, and SOME sexual content later. Toan X Xiao
1. Prologue

**This is my first fanfiction! All reviews and comments are very much welcomed so that I can later better my work… but please don't be too harsh… I'm fragile. No I'm just kidding. Do your worst! But complaints about the pairings will not be tolerated!**

**_Authors note:_ _I do not own Dark Cloud, but I really wish I did so there could be pairing… All rights go to Level 5 media, and Sony Entertainment._

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_**In the beginning…**_

I remember hearing stories about the first time that the Dark Genie appeared in our lands.

That was over 400 years ago…

There was a bitter war being fought between the western continent and our eastern continent.

I agreed that the war back then needed to be fought, but then, I didn't agree on there being a need to spill so much blood.

We had our wizards and our soldiers, and we had the upper hand.

Then our forces were blown away in one fell swoop.

I couldn't believe it at first when I was told this story myself, but then again, I was young and stupid.

The Dark Genie came and wiped out most of the world, and neither of our continents could do anything to stop it.

Those fools of the west had no idea the powers which they had tampered with.

Thank the gods for the Moon People…

With our combined efforts, the Dark Genie was sealed inside a large urn with the magic of the Moon People, and our world was allowed to recover after such a harsh blow.

Now everything is so peaceful, and it's hard to imagine that such a thing had ever truly happened.

In fact, I highly doubt that any of that story ever really happened, and it was exactly that:

A story, a fairy tale. I guess I'm just as dumb as I was the first time that I heard this story that I am now.

Although knowledge and wisdom had come upon me with age, I didn't want to...

No…

I refused to believe that the fairy tale of the Dark Genie ever really happened.

So when that creature of evil came back to life, I was just as surprised as everyone else…

Let me tell you my story... and how it all began...

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_**A book was found in some old ruins. All the scholars who decoded it puzzled over the mystery of this book.**_

_**A world with two moons illuminating the sky...**_

_**The many dazzling adventures of a young boy...**_

_**But whether or not this is a true story...**_

_**Do you believe in the story woven in the book?**_

_**Maybe its a fantasy that existed only in a boy's heart...**_

_**Let me tell you the story.**_

_**This ancient book tells of a magical, and magnificent**_

_**fairy tale...**_

_**And the hero of this wonderous tale... who's name is...**_

_**Forever...**_

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**I used the beginning of the game for the ending because I have yet to see anyone use it. I thought it was a great way to tie my beginning together.**

**Whew... my first fanfiction, ever, done. All for those who think this is easy... it is way the opposite. Being a writter is the hardest job in the world, **

**with the only paycheck being in words, which are usually cold and harsh. **

_**Level 5 please don't sue me...**_

_**Chapters will be up soon. Please review!!**_

_**Thank you for reading!!!**_


	2. Strange Beginnings

**Whoo! I would like to thank everyone for the reviews! Thank you for taking the time to read the fanfiction, and I will continue to try and impress you!**

**_Authors Note: I, once again, do not own Dark Cloud, and wish like hell that I did._**

**_Junielo and Keywieldinglegend?_ Thank you so much for reading this!**

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The attack was so sudden...

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I watched my village burn to the ground. Everyone was screaming, crying out for help. But, if you listened closely, those cries of help were not for themselves...

...but for each other...

I wasn't listening closely, but only watched in horror. I was preoccupied with my own thoughts. I couldn't believe that this was actually happening!

Why was this happening?! And more importantly, why here?! I scrambled, moving this way and that, trying to decide on which of my friends to help first. To anyone else; I seemed like a chicken without a head. But unlike the chicken, I had a head on, and it was processing too much at an alarming rate. My mind clicked back to attention the instant it was acknowledged as being there.

.....The fires... they would cause the most damage to the village, and would prove to be more harm than good when, and if, the moyor told us to evacuate. Knowing what needed to be done, I raced off... but...

"Forever!"

My head spinned to the location of the voice... and it wasn't good... She had fallen underneath one of the towns windmills... and it was comming down on top of her...

I don't... to this day... remember... what exactly what i was thinking at that moment... i just remember running like the world was after me, focused on doing nothing but saving her life... Paige's life... I dove... and then the world went dark...

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Darkness... That was all I could see, everywhere around me, darkness... There was nothing left... No home, no ground, no Earth...

....Just darkness... and a voice...

"Hi there..." Why do you sound so cheery?

"Can you hear me...?" I can... but... where are you...?

"Open your eyes." There's no point... everything's gone...

"Wake up!" Alright... man...

I opened my eyes, and again, there was darkness... but... this darkness was different... it had ground... solid ground... and an old man in funny clothes...

"Ah-hem! I am the Fairy King..." You're the what?


	3. Start of the Journey!

**Ah-hem! Thank you everyone for following the story and I do apologize to those that do keep up with this fanfiction and found me... lacking some more content for quite the while. **

**Thank you for your input and the reviews! I'll continue to try and impress you!**

**_Disclaimer: I, once again, do not own Dark Cloud..._ **

**_It sucks though that I don't... it really does... :(-_**

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"Ah-hem! I am the Fairy King..." The old geezer in front of me proclaimed again. I got up slowly and stared him down, looking for any indication that he might be lying... then again, who was I kidding?! He had to be lying... or totally off his rocker... This day was definately not going in my favor... at all...

"Dont talk much for a young feller with a lot on his mind, do you? Oh, and by the way, I am not, how did you put it...? 'Totally off my rocker'..." The Fairy King said blatantly. I stopped thinking... at least i thought i did...? (Agh! Its like time travel! This is so confusing!!) I shook my head and nodded, indicating for him to continue.

"As I was saying...I am the entity that unites all of nature's spirits." He stopped and eyed me, looking for signs that I was listening. I nodded again and he cleared his throat. He went on.

"Something bad has happened..." Yeah, no kidding sherlock holmes... He glared at me, and I scolded myself mentally for forgetting that he could read my thoughts.

"In one night, half of your world was annihilated..." He said, his tone dead and serious. I stared at him dumbfounded, my eyes grew wide and my mouth gaped open at the news...

_"Half of the world...?"_ I said out loud, images of my village... Norune Village... being swallowed up by fire. The panic on everyone's faces... Paige...

"The young feller does talk, but that's besides the point..." The Fairy King said, and my attention was his, and he knew it. He smiled, devious or otherwise, I couldn't tell, and I was usually good at reading people... He scared me a little because of it...

"Yound man, I see that you have a strong heart..." He was still talking, but my mind was elsewhere. Half of our world was destroyed... my mother... my father, wherever he was... Gina and Odd Gaffer... The Macho Brothers... everyone was gone...

... And I would be alone...

This was the first time that the prospect of being alone ever occured to me. Everyone I knew and cared for was gone...

"...I decided to stake our fate on you..." He had my attention again. "Let me bless you with power..." I look at the Fairy King. I did not catch his rant, but... was he really expecting me to fight...? Me, Forever, an average villager of Norune...?! If this was all that was left though...

The Fairy King waved his arms around and i stared, dumbfound, at the magic that eminated from his staff and onto my right hand. There was a blue gem on my glove now, and I could definately feel the power that flowed from it to me. The Fairy King called it "Atlamillia", and by now, I was already starting to get the big picture. The Fairies of Terra, in all their wisdom, decided to put the fate of the world in my hands, and they knew that I wouldn't say no.

... And they were absolutely right... I wasn't going to back down from this, there was already too much at stake for me to decline this...

That, and by now, it was kinda already too late... "...It might get bright..." Huh?

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**FLASH!**

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"You know you could've warned me first before doing that...!" I mumbled softly. I, personally, didn't exactly have the best way with words, which is kind of why I usually keep my mouth shut. But this man was really pushing me, and I didn't like it...

"This was your village..." The Fairy King said quietly. I looked around, and I wasn't too surprised at what I saw... I'm not sure why though... maybe the power of this blue gem had something to do with that.

An empty lot... that was all that was left... and surprisingly... the Mayor's house was still intact as well...

My eye twitched at this fact... and my face contorted into a look of confusion. How could that Dark Genie miss something as big as his house? It hit everything but the biggest thing in Norune village...

Go figure right?

That was besides the point, and I listened to the Fairy King explain the power of Atlamillia to me. I got it for the most part, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt when he asked me about whether I understood exactly what I had to do with the Atla and the Atlamillia. I just shrugged and gave him my best, I-have-no-clue-what-you-just-said look, (Even though I understood clearly what he was explaining) and he sighed and told me to go meet with the mayor. Then he disappeared, and i ran off...

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The Mayor was just as spineless as ever. I listened to him wail, but i tried my best to sympathize with him... Really!

Okay... so me not talking to him might not have done me justice...

Or me tapping my foot...

Or the impacient look on my face...! (Hey! Nobody's perfect here!)

As i said my goodbyes, there was one thing that the Mayor did tell me that I did keep in my head...

"The Dungeon seems to have gotten more dangerous..."

Ah, oh well... it was best to get over that hill when it came...

Next stop, Divine Beast Cave...

Off to see Dran!

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**Well, that concludes chapter 3! What do you think? What will happen to Forever? What horrors await him in the dungeon? When an I going to get to all the juicy, romantic bits?! All this and more, next time!**

**_But no seriously, why was the Mayor's house, the biggest thing in Norune Village, the house that happened to be the one that came out of the Dark Genie's attack unscathed?! Why not Claude's house...? That lovable oaf could also have been the one to provide Forever with supplies in the beginning. He would have enough space in his house..._**

**_Second, why is Claude's house the only house with a shower/bath?_**

**Review please! Hope you had fun!**


	4. A Dark Start

**Another round with the Forever man! Whoo! What will happen after that strange event at the Divine Beast Cave Entrance? What different trials will he have to overcome?**

**... Let's find out, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Dark Cloud... oh, but I'm working on it... I am working on it...**

**Ta da!**

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Silence... there was silence... and these steps... a spiral staircase? (Who takes the time to carve all of this stuff out?!) I took in a slow breath... I followed the torches that lined the walls...

Down... farther... and farther... and farther still... ( A light...?) I saw it... an opening at the end of the staircase... I descended faster... Moving swiftly, taking two steps at time, then three at a time... It became bright. I winced and shielded my eyes from the light. There!

I stumbled through the doorway, and it closed swiftly behind me.

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I leaned over and tried to catch my breath.

"Well hello there!" A voice said in front of me. I stood up and stared at the man before me... The Fairy King, and I'll give him credit for the fact that he always happens to show when I really don't need him too... I looked at him again to make sure he wasn't an illusion... and then he started talking... (Nope... definately not an illusion... sigh.)

"Surprised to see me, eh?" The Fairy King proclaimed proudly. (No... not really...) He went on with his rant, and I kept in mind about the Mind Connect and the Escape Powder. The next thing i knew, he was gone and I was alone again...

I looked around... the walls were made out of dirt and lined with torches lit by the flame... I eyed the torches carefully... the fire was burning, and even the small embers were falling off the wood... but the wood didn't seem to be _actually_ burning!

The people of Norune were no strangers to magic... but with magic on a scale this grand? That was definately something to think about...

**"Screech!"**

I turned, and quickly jumped out of the way of some sort of flying ball with wings! It screeched again and dove for a kill, but I rolled away quickly to avoid it. I got a clearer look at it from this safe distance...

It was a purple color... and I hit it right on the nose when I said it was basically a ball with wings... but its fangs were something to be wary of... you could smell the poison that dripped from them from over here...

I pulled my dagger out and waited for the bat to come at me again... It came in slowly this time, flapping its wings rapidly to slow its descent. I stepped out of the way and slashed at it with my dagger a few times. The bat fell, then its body went limp, and it disappeared in a cloud of darkness. I walked over to where the bat had fallen and looked at the ground...

No blood, no sign that the bat had ever even been there. I puzzled over this for a little untill I heard a loud snort from behind me, and the hot wet breath of whatever it was that was behind me. I turned and stared into the eyes of a boar/bear/part human thing... (I think the Macho brothers called it a Dasher?) and it lifted its spiked club.

It brought down the club with tremendous force, and i barely had time to bring my dagger out in defense. I force of the blow alone sent me slidding across the dungeon hallway and into a large room. I shook off the recoil slowly... only to find a real working skeleton staring down at me. It brought up its sword and struck down but I knocked his sword out of the way with a slash from my dagger.

I summersaulted backwards and got into a defensive stance. The skeleton approached me slowly, and i got rid of its arm quickly. It disappeared in the cloud of darkness like the bat, but through the smoke charged that Dasher monster. I jumped out of the way awkwardly and stabbed it through the back. It cried out and died the same ways as all the others.

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I continued my trek, making mental notes about the monsters and what they're like. I stabbed another skeleton and found that thing the Fairy King called Dran's Crest after it disappeared. I placed it in my pocket along with all the other stuff I collected in this floor, and went to the only door that wasn't open, getting lost along the way there.

I went through the door and looked back at the floor I just conquered and sighed... if this was how the rest of the floors were going to be... I was going to be in a world of trouble...

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**Yay! There was chapter 5! Next stop, Xiao! Finally the moment we've all been waiting for! Tune in next time! Thank you for keeping up with the fanfiction! **


	5. Frustrations

**Another round with the Forever man! Whoo! What will happen after that strange event at the Divine Beast Cave Entrance? What different trials will he have to overcome?**

**... Let's find out, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Dark Cloud... oh, but I'm working on it... I am working on it...**

**Ta da!**

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Silence... there was silence... and these steps... a spiral staircase? (Who takes the time to carve all of this stuff out?!) I took in a slow breath... I followed the torches that lined the walls...

Down... farther... and farther... and farther still... ( A light...?) I saw it... an opening at the end of the staircase... I descended faster... Moving swiftly, taking two steps at time, then three at a time... It became bright. I winced and shielded my eyes from the light. There!

I stumbled through the doorway, and it closed swiftly behind me.

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I leaned over and tried to catch my breath.

"Well hello there!" A voice said in front of me. I stood up and stared at the man before me... The Fairy King, and I'll give him credit for the fact that he always happens to show when I really don't need him too... I looked at him again to make sure he wasn't an illusion... and then he started talking... (Nope... definately not an illusion... sigh.)

"Surprised to see me, eh?" The Fairy King proclaimed proudly. (No... not really...) He went on with his rant, and I kept in mind about the Mind Connect and the Escape Powder. The next thing i knew, he was gone and I was alone again...

I looked around... the walls were made out of dirt and lined with torches lit by the flame... I eyed the torches carefully... the fire was burning, and even the small embers were falling off the wood... but the wood didn't seem to be _actually_ burning!

The people of Norune were no strangers to magic... but with magic on a scale this grand? That was definately something to think about...

**"Screech!"**

I turned, and quickly jumped out of the way of some sort of flying ball with wings! It screeched again and dove for a kill, but I rolled away quickly to avoid it. I got a clearer look at it from this safe distance...

It was a purple color... and I hit it right on the nose when I said it was basically a ball with wings... but its fangs were something to be wary of... you could smell the poison that dripped from them from over here...

I pulled my dagger out and waited for the bat to come at me again... It came in slowly this time, flapping its wings rapidly to slow its descent. I stepped out of the way and slashed at it with my dagger a few times. The bat fell, then its body went limp, and it disappeared in a cloud of darkness. I walked over to where the bat had fallen and looked at the ground...

No blood, no sign that the bat had ever even been there. I puzzled over this for a little untill I heard a loud snort from behind me, and the hot wet breath of whatever it was that was behind me. I turned and stared into the eyes of a boar/bear/part human thing... (I think the Macho brothers called it a Dasher?) and it lifted its spiked club.

It brought down the club with tremendous force, and i barely had time to bring my dagger out in defense. I force of the blow alone sent me slidding across the dungeon hallway and into a large room. I shook off the recoil slowly... only to find a real working skeleton staring down at me. It brought up its sword and struck down but I knocked his sword out of the way with a slash from my dagger.

I summersaulted backwards and got into a defensive stance. The skeleton approached me slowly, and i got rid of its arm quickly. It disappeared in the cloud of darkness like the bat, but through the smoke charged that Dasher monster. I jumped out of the way awkwardly and stabbed it through the back. It cried out and died the same ways as all the others.

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I continued my trek, making mental notes about the monsters and what they're like. I stabbed another skeleton and found that thing the Fairy King called Dran's Crest after it disappeared. I placed it in my pocket along with all the other stuff I collected in this floor, and went to the only door that wasn't open, getting lost along the way there.

I went through the door and looked back at the floor I just conquered and sighed... if this was how the rest of the floors were going to be... I was going to be in a world of trouble...

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**Yay! There was chapter 5! Next stop, Xiou! Finally the moment we've all been waiting for! Tune in next time! Thank you for keeping up with the fanfiction! **


	6. Strange Encounters

**Thank you everyone for all of your patience! I'm am so sorry for making everyone wait for this next chapter! I'm so excited as well! Thank you all for being patient with me and thank you all so much for the reviews!**

**Mimi Foxtrot, Keywieldinglegend, thank you for the reviews and the kind words! Chiio-Chan thank you so much for the help and the inspiration! And good luck to Tabbie94! **

**May you all prosper and grow!**

**Disclaimer: You know, I really hate these, but i dont want to impede and I definately dont want to be sued... so...!**

**_All rights and ownership go to Level Five Media and to Sony Entertainment..._ **

**Sigh... I will own this franchise! I will gosh darn it! **

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There wasn't much to do on my way down to the next floor, except count the steps and hope to the Fairies of Terra that the darkness would end soon. There was quiet, and although I love the peace that quiet brings to me, this was not a quiet that I found to be calming or even comforting...

... It was an uneasy quiet. That feeling of not knowing what lies beyond the next corner, that fear of finding another monster in front of my face, like a few of those pig-bears the Macho brothers called Dashers.

It was that uneasy feeling though that kept me going. It was that feeling of not knowing what lied ahead that forced me down these steps. It was controlling, and the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that I enjoyed the control and the careless abandon that this feeling supplied me. It was enticing, exciting! But I shook my head and I told myself to stay focused. I was coming out of the stairwell soon... I could already see the light...

I pushed a little farther, that light becoming brighter and brighter as I descended the spiral staircase. It was blinding, and I embraced the light as I shielded my eyes with my arm and I pushed myself to make those last few steps as short as possible. I ran throught the door into the next floor of the dungeon hard and fast. I stopped abruptly, letting my eyes adapt to the new scenery slowly. Somewhere nearby there was a Cave Bat. I could already hear it screeching, like an alarm that alerted the other monsters in this floor that another piece of food had foolheartedly entered their domain. In front of me, the dungeon path split into two different paths, left and right.

I was so focused on the sounds around me that at first, I didn't realize that there was something nearby that actually wanted my attention.

Something purred from underneath me, and I jumped backwards, drawing my Dagger. I searched around quickly, but carefully. There was nothing around, so I checked again.

Maybe I was halucinating? I shook my head and laugh nervously. I was already loosing my mind and I've been down here about, what? An hour, a little more than that at most? It was hard to keep track of time when you were either running from your life, or you were fighting for your life. Both of which, I hoped to Terra that I would not have to do a lot of.

Something grazed my leg, and the hairs on the back of my head stood up. It was over! Something was already trapping me! Preparing to devour me from the leg up! Tear me limb from limb! Some sort of invisible presence that I couldn't see had snuck up on me, and it was already too late! I decided to sneak a peak and see exactly what was causing my downfall at such a time as this...

My eye twitched at the sight...

There it was: its soft, fluffy tail, its feminine form, its bell dangling from its neck. it peered up at me and I almost squealed at how adorable it was... but I kept quiet, secretly wishing that I could though.

"Here kitty..." I called out softly as I got down on my knees and reached an arm out to pet the cat before me. It tilted its head to the side, seeming as thought it was confused as to what to do, and that only made it that much more adorable. I grazed its fur with the tip of my fingers before it felt this and ran off ahead of me. I stood up and watched as it turned its head back to face me for a brief moment, then it turned away and ran off... through a wall...

I ran to where the cat was last seen and I patted the wall down with my hands basically frisking the wall up. No trap door, no magical barrier, and no kitty door to go through... I shook my head and leaned on my right hip as I crossed my hands in front of my chest.

"How could it have done that...?" I asked out loud. I moved quietly down the left path, pondering the question more and more as I traveled further and further into the dungeon.

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**

***Smack***

I was on my side on the floor before I knew what had happened. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't tell what was up or down, and what exactly I was seeing. There was a cackle from above me, but I couldn't make out what it was.

"Die boy!" I moved, in which direction and how I did it, don't you dare ask me, because I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. I rolled onto my back and brought my dagger out in defense. Something struck at it, and the sound of screeching metal pierced the quiet of the dungeon floor.

I moved quickly and slashed out in front of me. Something fell to the side of my face, and i turned my head to face it. A skull, its mouth agape and hanging out as though mocking me, even after death. I struggld to my feet, my legs wobbling underneath the weight they had sustained all of their lives. I growled silently at the newfound sight of the rest of the Skeleton Soldier, and i lifted my foot. I brought in down against the skull swiftfully and forcefully. That satisfying crunch almost made me want to smile... almost. The Skeleton Soldier disappeared in the black mist, like all the others, and I let out a sigh of both relief and worry.

Something trickled down the side of my face. I felt for the cause with two fingers, and brought them to my face to see a crimson colored liquid at the tips. I placed my fingers in my mouth and licked off what blood was on them, and I wiped the rest of the blood on my temple off with my hand and I sighed again. I made a promise that this would be the last time that I would ever be caught off guard in a dungeon again. I waited for my vision to fully recover before I moved to take on the rest of the floor.

* * *

I stared hard at my Dagger, which seemed to be getting older as I slayed monsters. I pulled out the Drans Crest and I placed it in the slot, forcing the door to the next floor to open. I started down the spiral staircase once again. I unwrapped the repair powder the mayor had 'thoughtfully' given me before I came into this dungeon. I looked again at the Dagger, then back at the yellow colored pouch. I decided it was worth a shot, and I poured some of the pouch's contents onto a small piece of my poncho and rubbed that against the Dagger's blade. Immediately, the blade became less dull, and the hilt began to mend its tattered cloth back into a solid grip. Soon, the Dagger went back to the way it used to be before I entered Divine Beast Cave. I was amazed, and decided to use the powder sparingly as I came into the next floor.

The Fairy King was already there, waiting for me patiently, and I acted surprised once again to entertain his ego. He went off on his rant and I went into my own little world, keeping in mind about my 'Dagger's attributes'. When he disappeared, I moved through the dungeon paths once again. The new Guard Dogs and the Statue surprised me a little when I met them, but I kept in mind to make mental notes about them for later when I could write them down. The statue was exactly that: a statue. Made of both metal and rock, it held a scythe and it wasn't going to let you forget that it could use... really well... The Guard Dog at first looked like a square block of rock, but when you got closer, it springs up and changes into a figure that very much resembles a dog with wings. I walked to a room where I had found water and I washed my blood stained hands in the cool, refreshing waterfall. I found Dran's Crest once again and went on my way.

* * *

This next floor though... was different... ominous... dangerous. I walked into the room with caution, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up in alarm. There were three Skeleton Soldiers on the ground in the middle of the large room. I suddenly realized that this area felt enclosing, like an arena or a coluseum.

**_The voices started again... loud and spiteful... cursing and swearing...!_**

I clutched my head in my hands. Pain poured through every piece of my body. I couldn't breath, couldn't move. I fell onto my knees.

**_Laughter again... cold, but this time it was harsh, angry... Someone's calling..._**

I threw my head back in my hands and screamed in agony, but no sound came out! I wanted it to stop! I wanted to be left alone!

**_Die... Just die... Give up... You won't make it to see the end of your journey boy..._**

I stood up too quickly and veered to the side as I tried to regain control of my body; my hands still clutching my head.

**_Throw that jewel away... you're going to die young if you just leave it on... Quit your beginning now and this will all be over..._**

I laughed, I mean actually laughed at whatever was inside of my head. "If I didn't already know that, I wouldn't be going down this dungeon to begin with." I called out to the voices. I saw the Skeleton Soldiers were already up and moving towards me. One of them had just closed its mouth, as though it was talking before I looked at it. I drew my Dagger and charged through one of them. I slashed the ribs off another and sliced through the hand of the last one before they all blew into the black mist that overcame them afterwards. I moved two steps before something flew down from the ceiling in front of me. I jumped back and stared at the large skeleton before me.

This one was different... it wore a green jacket and instead of the usual worn out wooden shield, this one carried a new metal circular one. It held a bigger blade in its right hand. I observed it very carefully, taking in the other fact that its bones looked much thicker and stronger than the normal Skeleton Soldier.

"Toan."

I turned and saw the Fairy King standing proudly besides me. He was not looking at me, but at the new enemy before us when he started talking again.

"Forever, here it begins. Stay focused. Those upper floors were preparing you for this one." And then he disappeared as quickly as he came.

I took the first strike, and jumped at the skeleton. It brought its sword and shield out in front of and blocked the force of my blow. I gasped when I felt the skeleton shift its weight and it tossed me away with tremendous force. I skidded backwards across the floor and covered my mouth to stiffle a cough from the dirt I lifted into the air. I was tired... the constant strain from running and fighting through these dungeon floor was finally making itself known. My body screech in pain and threatened to quit where I stood. I shook this off and focused on the enemy before me once again. I needed to do something fast!

I got into a defensive stance. The large skeleton charged and brought down its sword as I lifted my own to block. I pushed my weight into my arms and grunted as i pushed the skeleton's sword away from mine. I jumped into a side flip and landed behind the monster. While it was surprised, I knocked its sword out of it hand and disarmed it. It turned to look at me, the skull's eyes were blank. It cried out in shock when I brought up my Dagger and slashed off its head.

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down quickly to rest. Two treasure chests landed on the ground besides each other. I was beginning to wonder what else that this dungeon held in store for me now...

After a few minutes of catching my breath, I opened the boxes to find Dran's Crest and a blue colored pouch. I put the pouch away, not knowing what to do with it. I'll ask the mayor when I come up to the surface again.

I opened the door to the next floor and Mind Connected with the Fairy King so he could get me out. He was waiting for me outside the Divine Beast Cave entrance gates. I listened intently as he explained to me about Georama... (What a select button was... I had no idea...) Just when I thought I could leave for some well deserved rest, he handed me a book so thick i couldn't look at it without my muscles wincing in pain. It was a manual, something he said I should read very carefully before I moved on to the rest of the dungeon.

I nodded my head and he disappeared into the air. I didn't realize until now that the sky was dark and the two moons illuminated by the stars were already in the middle of the sky...

I smiled at the beautiful sight. No clouds, just the beautiful wonder that was space. When I was a kid, I always believed that the nighttime sky was born from magic. Nothing could be that wonderful and not have been involved with a little magic...

I still believe this today, looking at the white and blue moons that never seemed to separate from one another. They were like dancing partners, waltzing their way across the sky for all eternity... It was a happy thought... The stars seemed to dance and twinkle with the tempo of the moons, only further flattering the beauty of the night sky.

I walked to the Mayor's house slowly, not wanting to go inside just yet...

* * *

As I crawled under the spare blanket the Mayor had placed on the couch for me, my mind wandered back to the second floor of the dungeon. Where did that cat run off too...?

And why do I keep thinking about how cute it was?

* * *

**Alright!!! It's finally done! I'm so sorry that it took so long everyone! *sweatdrop***

**In any case, I worked very hard on this chapter and I hope it shows. I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writting it.**

**Again, sorry about the long wait everyone! Please review and or criticize! I would very much appreciate it!**


	7. Struggling With the New

**So... It's been a while everyone! I'm grateful for all of the patience of those who actually found my story interesting and chose to help me by encouraging me to get off of my lazy butt and get back to work! It brings a tear to my eye to see all of these people with their chainsaws and their pitchforks and their interesting glowing torches of fire at my front door threatening me daily to continue this story and to update, and I quote, "as soon as friggin' possible!" unquote. **

**I shall not disappoint! Here it is ladies and gentlemen! Chapter 7 of Things Better Left Unsaid! Prelude to Truths! Whoo! (Fanfare!)**

**... I'm the only one excited about this aren't I?**

_**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Dark. Cloud. Capiche? (tear) I really wish I did though... Forever and all of his friends' names are ALL MINE though! BwaHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

**And Digimonfan4ever101? Thank you.**

**Author's note: "Star Ocean: The Last Hope" was a decent game. Just got through disc one! Double WHOO!**

**

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"Goodmorning Forever... How did you sleep?" The Mayor said numbly as he hobbled into the living room. I turned my head slightly to acknowledge him, nodding silently in reply as I once again turned my attention back to the large piece of eyecandy in front of me.

'Page 346... only 457 more pages to go...' I thought callously as I stared down the Manual that the Fairy King had so wonderfully supplied me with the day before. I spent all night looking through these pages...

...And I was extremely confused... What the Dran was a O button anyway?...

Or a square button?...

And what the Dran was a Main Menu any way? How does he expect me to 'study this well', if I don't even know what to do with half of the things here anyway? I sighed hotly, and the Mayor sat down besides me on the couch. His eyes studied the open pages I was on then turned to me carefully before asking the all omni-potent question...

"So... what's a square button...?"

I smacked my hand against my forehead irritably, knowing full well that when I removed my hand there would be a nice red hand print embedded into my cranium. My eye twitched visibly as I turned my head to stare at him, my eyes drilling holes into his skull. The Mayor's face turned a pale white as he stood up. His feet moved him ever so slowly back into his pantry where he closed the door and locked in quietly. I sighed aloud. As much as I fail to let on, I actually did learn a lot out of the Manual. I learned about the Dashers and the Cave Bats and the other assorted creatures that I've come into contact with in Divine Beast Cave. And I found things called 'Attribute Slots' on the side of my Dagger. Who knew right? I closed the book quietly and stood up slowly. It was time...

* * *

"I get it..." I said before he had the chance to talk to me.

You do...?" The Fairy King enquired with a quizzical look.

"Yes..." I showed him the manual, and the makeshift bookmark I made with piece of wheat I plucked from the outter walls of the Norune Valley. It was nestled neatly near the middle of the book, page 402. He smiled brightly, almost twisting his face into a look of extreme psychotic pleasure.

"... No one's ever actually gone through the Manual..." And with that the Fairy King burst into a gall of patronizing laughter. I was tempted to slug him, but thought better of it at the last minute and instead resorted to doing worse. By now, he had fallen onto the floor and whas crying tears of joy. He was rolling around the floor, the laughter in sudden horrid stereo as the Fairy King's braying echoed off of the hard clay walls of Divine Beast Cave's 5th floor.

"See you around Fairy King..." I said quietly as i stepped. There was a muffled yelp of pain underneath my foot as I walked over him briskly and without remorse. I was already too far into the labyrinth to figure out what he was saying on his lecture on how ungrateful I was towards him for giving me the manual in the first place. All I caught was:

_**"You..!"**_

_**"Goodfornothing...!"**_

_**"Son of a...-!" **_I tangled swords with a Skeleton Soldier, blocking out the end of the Fairy King's rant. As I crushed its skull with the hilt of my dagger with swift ease, I caught myself wondering about the cat on the second floor. Those eyes... they captivated me... yellow, stunning...

...Beautiful...

"It's a cat for crying out loud..." I scolded myself sullenly...

* * *

***Clang!***

"Damn it all...!" I cried out angrily as I blocked another strike of the scythe with my Bone Rapier. I guided the scythe's downward movement to the side of me as I stepped out of the way. The Stone Statue looked at me through the long sclit for his eyes on his helmet. He attempted a sideway swing, but I jumped up into a flip swiftly and landed on the flat end of the scythe. I looked at it irritantly as it attempted to shake me off to no avail. I ran up the length of the stone shaft and took a few slashes at the helmet of the stone statue. The helmet cracked, but before I could deal the final blow, a sharp pain impacted the side of my abdomen. I rolled across the ground, coming to a stop a ways away from the Stone Statue. I got on my knees, squeezed my eyes shut at the pain that overwhelmed me, and hunched over in agony. I coughed roughly and looked at the ground.

Blood was sprayed in an uninterpretable manner around the floor. I spit out the rest of the coppery tasting substance and opened my mouth to cry out in pain, but sound escaped me. I could hear hard footsteps echoing around me, each one closer than the last. I was disoriented: vision came and went, more than one Stone Statue appeared before me. The sound of the echoes came out soft, then they became thundering roars. I was losing conciousness. I needed to do something fast...

... The pain came sharp and strong. Vision became clearer, my sense of direction and balance returning. My hearing had returned to normal. I had bitten my tongue. A small stream of blood fell gently down the left side of my mouth, down my chin. The thick chrimson liquid fell to the ground as slowly as gentle cherry blossom petals fall in spring. I looked up, just in time to see the Stone Statue ready another downward swing at me. I closed my eyes...

_This is it... I had a good run I guess... coulda done a hell of a lot better... _

_... Why...?_

_

* * *

_

_Don't you damn dare give up on me...! You can't!_

_

* * *

_

I opened my eyes suddenly. There was hissing coming from above me...

A cat... **THE** cat... **_THE CAT!_** She was clawing at the helmet of the Stone Statue, effectively occupying the Stone Statue's time. The Stone Statue was trying unfruitfully to take the cat off of its helmet, but the cat only hissed and dodged each swipe with gentle ease. It clawed ruthlessly at the helmet, chipping solid stone pieces off of it like it was made of grass. The cat attempted to go for another swing but was grabbed ruthlessly by a stone hand. It meowed in pain and hissed at the Stone Statue defiantly. The Stone Statue eyed the creature with calous eyes before it brought her up above its head. It was going to throw it against the ground...

"NO!" I grabbed my Bone Rapier on the ground besides me and in one quick motion I got up on one knee and thrust the blade into the armor of the Stone Statue's chest. The Stone Statue's grip loosened on the cat, and she came falling down. I slid between the legs of the Stone Statue and caught the cat in my arms. I craddled it tightly and stood up swiftly behind the Stone Statue, cat in my arms against my chest. She struggled in my grip and set herself up my poncho onto my left shoulder. I turned around in time to watch the Stone Statue crumble into dust. I caught my Bone Rapier in midair and sheethed it into my belt.

It was quiet after. Something sparked on the ground, and I bent over to see. The cat shifted it weight to accomodate my change in stature and she too seemed to inquire about the item on the ground.

"Huh, it's a Dran's Crest..." The cat pawed it curiously. The item in question had a circular appearance with two curved horns poking out of the top. In the center of the circular body held a green gem, an emerald maybe, but I doubted it. The cat jumped off of my shoulder and landed on the ground on all fours gracefully. She pawed the Dran's Crest a little more, and when it moved in her paws, she jumped excitedly and began to play with it, jumping this way and that and crawling around it as though it was watching her.

_Maybe we're all being watched right now... The Dark Genie has that power doesn't he? It can probably be as easy as blinking for him to look off into the distance to see the happenings of now, to see the rebels that might be out there. He's the ultimate Seer, and we are the workers in his fields of corn. You don't work, you get punished. You defy the Seer of the fields, you get punished..._

The laughter was coming back into my head again, accompanied by the voice that tells me there's no point to continuing my journey to defeat the Dark Genie. I'm beginning to think that maybe that voice **_does_** belong to the Dark Genie. I shook these thoughts out of my head and smiled at the cat. It look up at me from its game with the item on the floor, sensing eyes on itsself. Her eyes sparkled intelligently and for a moment I was caught in those eyes...

Hazel... that was the color of her eyes... Her? Yeah, I know its a her. I don't know how I know, but I just do, you know? Maybe not, but it doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is those eyes. Those entrancing, beautiful eyes. If she was a girl... if she was a human girl...

...I think I might be in love with a cat... ha ha. I took the Dran's Crest from her paws and went to the floor exit. The cat followed faithfully, and when we got into the sixth floor, she pulled another disappearing act through a wall again. It saddened me to see her disappear like that. I felt lonely again...

... It's best to keep walking.

* * *

I got a journal from the Mayor tonight. It looked much like an old book. It had a hard cover, red, with a gold spine. the pages within were blank. I smiled and thanked him with a nod. He smiled back cheerily and said, "It'll help. Just trust me. Okay?" I only nodded again in reply. I was beginning to think that I wasn't giving the Mayor enough credit for his ways of having his life. He just might be more than he seems. I'm greatful for this insight. I write it down in the journal before going to bed. I write a lot of things...

_My name is Forever. Don't ask me about a last name, but then again, who is going to read this other than me right? Ha ha. I can talk in here, with me. I don't know if that's healthy or not, but you know? I never exactly cared for what others thought of me. I'm quiet, or at least, others tell me I'm quiet. I'm actually really talkative, well... when I want to be... I just don't think that words should be wasted on those who don't listen. _

_And a lot of people don't like to listen. Maybe I'm the way I am because I feel I have to listen for those who don't want to... Maybe that's why I don't talk unless I know I'm alone or if I... trust someone enough? I don't get the whole, I-won't-talk-to-other-people-thing either, but I do it. I'm not anti-scocial, I like people, I just don't like talking. There are other things I know too. I know-_

_Mimics scared the Fairies out of me today._

_I'm in love with a cat._

_The Fairy King is about the weirdest old guy I'll probably ever know._

_I'm getting stronger... I think._

I scratched that last part out.

_There should be a building permit for Dungeons._

_There's more to the Mayor than meets the eye._

_I'm in love with a cat._

I stopped. My fingers were cramping. Tomorrow was a new day. It would be Day 10 in a few hours. I threw the quilt the Mayor supplied me for the night over my head and fell asleep on the arm of the couch.

I was exhausted.

* * *

I dreamt of the Mimics that night, and of the cat... She was a girl...

* * *

**Awww... he loves a cat. No, he's not antiscocial. He's forever. (Hahahahah...) I kill me...**

**So ladies and gentlemen! It's finally up! Should I tell you about the dream, or shouldn't I? These are the questions that must be answered in the in... The Comments Section!**

**Until next time! Hope you enjoyed yourselves! I did.**

**Please leave comments and reviews. Annonymous comments are also greatly encouraged. It makes you mysterious and sexy in my eyes...**

***wink***


	8. Turns for the Interesting

**Alright so I was going through some of the reviews that you all left for me and they brought tears to my eyes. You guys are really the best. And so I thank you. So very very much. I probably lost most of you though due to my months of absence... Sorry everyone. So now I'm updating for everyone that supported me in the beginning and for those who will support me in the future! And for those of you who found out that just recently updated, I welcome you back with a warm smile and a beautiful laugh and I say, "Welcome Back".**

**This one is a cute chapter so I hope that you all enjoy it. I'm making up for lost time with cuteness and well written stories.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Cloud... oh wait! Yes I do... In my dreams I own them... Also in my dreams, puppies are evil, so I'm allowed to kick them.**_

_**Author's Note: I don't kick puppies in real life or in dreams. I have three fully grown one's at home and two pups. Oh, and cat's really are sexy in real life. The bad side is that they're annoying as Terra...**_

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Quiet...

The world had gone quiet. The treasure chest sat there in the middle of the room, gleaming in the etherreal glow of the torches that lined the walls of the dungeon floors. I crouched down to open the chest, and then...

Eyes... there were eyes on the chest... And... it was growling... The chest's top popped open and it had a mouth inside of it. There was no treasure inside, only rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth that seemed to be rotating... And then it lunged at me... and I didn't stop it... I just opened my mouth and screamed.

* * *

The Mayor was shaking me when I woke up in the middle of the night. I was sweating all over. It made my undershirt stick to my chest and my hair to my face. He slapped me.

He slapped me hard. I looked at him, and I could see my look through his eyes. It was crazed. It was filled with fear. But... But there was also understanding. I was here... This was the real world. The Mimic I dreamed... that's exactly what the Mimic was... a dream.

Stupid Mimic. The Mayor looked pleased with my understanding and he turned to go back to his bed upstairs. I was shaking, but I figured that it would go away after a while. I took in a few breaths, willing my heart to return to normal, instead of beating itself into a 'concussion' against my chest. It hurt, how fast my heart was beating. It felt like it was going to burt straight through my ribs and out of my body. I laid down and looked out the window above the front door of the Mayor's house. The white and blue moons hung high in the sky. I was guessing that it was about midnight. I groaned gently. My body was still sore: the Stone Statue had beat me down pretty good. I had a great big bruise on the right side of my abdomen where it knocked me to the floor... before the cat came to save me...

Well, the bruise was all bandaged up now, so I was going to be fine in a few days. It would go away, the Mayor assured me, but when I saw it... let's just say that between vomit and the bruise... I'd rather look at vomit. I had some cuts here and there, none serious, though I would have to think of a new strategy when I go up against another Stone Statue. Speaking of which, I learned a very interesting thing about the Manual that the Fairy King so... humbly bestowed upon me to help in my quest.

It updates itself. I saw that yesterday when I read before I went to bed, and before I wrote into my journal. When I looked through it yesterday, it had gained twelve pages... Three for each of the new monsters I found in Floors 5-7. There was:

The Opars,

the Master Jackets,

the Ghosts,

and of course...

The Mimics.

I guess for each new thing that I encounter, It builds information on. Like the blue bag of powder I found in one of the treasure chests on the fourth floor. Turns out its called Powerup Powder. It's supposed to evolve my weapons into something better. That really fascinated me... I wonder what would happen if I used the Powerup Powder on my Bone Rapier...? I'll check that tomorrow. For now... I yawned... I was tired.

I dreamed again.

* * *

I was lying down... I was at home... upstairs in my room, if you wanted to call it that. I was...

I was naked... Why wasn't I wearing any clothes? Footsteps... someone was coming up the stairs... I need to change. I can see the shadow of the person. It's a girl, I can tell because of the way the figure is built. It's dark outside, most likely because it's nighttime. I have a feeling in my chest. It's warm, and I know the feeling...

It's love. I can see the top of her head now. Auburn hair, its a little long. I can see her face... she has hazel eyes. Here lips are small, but I have a feeling that I love those lips on mine... I can see the rest of her body now... it's embarrassing... She's naked too. I don't move from the bed, as though I've already made up my mind. I think I know I've made up my mind. She smiles at me, the ears at the top of her head twitch a little excitedly. She crawles into the bed, her body pressing against mine... I can feel myself smiling...

* * *

I woke up. The sun was already hitting my face. I had a smile on my face.

* * *

The layout of Floor 8 is different than any of the other one's I've seen. there's a river cutting through the center of the floor, in the way of the exit door. There's a chest on the other side of the river too, probably holding the Dran's Crest inside. There's movement from the corner of my eye. I draw my blade, Evilcise. A man appears before me, in the center of this side of the room. He has silver hair and deep purple eyes. He had adequate muscle mass... well, way more than I did. In a fist fight, I would probably never stand a chance. But I had my Evilcise with me, and its weight brought me comfort.

The man wore a black, open shirt that only covered his chest. It had one red clasp that brought each side of the shirt together. The man wore black armored shoulder pads atop his sleeves and black wrist gauntlets with black gloves without fingers. The gloves had a rectangular piece of metal that protected the back of the hands. The man wore grey pants with a belt that had a red eyelike jewel for a buckle. To add to the already dark clothing, the man wore dark boots.

His eyes were the only thing that caught my attention.

His eyes... They're not kind eyes. I can see a lifetime of suffering and hardships in them too. Those feelings don't change the fact that those eyes aren't kind eyes... not at all. I watch them warily, the hairs on the back of my head is standing on edge...

I can feel him watching me. He's talking, but I wasn't paying attention. Those eyes...

* * *

"Or maybe it was just that stone on your left arm...?" What? What did he just say. Does he... no... He can't know about the Atlamillia... can he? I looked at the glove on my left arm where the Atlamilia resided. I had to protect it... I just had to... from him. The man continued talking...

"No doubt that is the legendary Atlamillia. A treasure from the gods that only the worth can possess. Hard to believe that you are worthy of it, but that's not the issue here. Would you be so kind as to hand it over to me?"

I ignored the insult he gave me about not being worthy. I pondered his question of the Fairy King's motives though. Why would the Fairy King give a stone with the power to alter reality to a kid. Granted, I was sixteen, but still, even I knew that he had to have been a little desperate to hand the Atlamillia to me, right? Still... no, I mean, it isn't right.

**_Give it to the man before you. He's an adult; he can fix this world._**

**_He's more mature than you, and he know's what he's doing. Can't you tell?_**

I stayed quiet, the question still playing in the man's eyes. The voices in my head... the one's that laugh at me and haunt me wherever I go. They're attacking me now, but this time, they're not trying to get me to give up. This time...

_**It's time to pass the batton off to another. He's more capable.**_

_**Give it up... Give it up... Give it up... Give him the Atlamillia...**_

They were attacking again now. Over and over and over again, repeating themselves. I clutched my head roughly and shook it quickly, willing them to stop.

**_He can do the job... He's better..._**

**_

* * *

_**

_I can do it..._

_

* * *

****__Give it to him...__I can do it. I know I can..._**_Give the man the Atlamillia..._**

_I HAVE to do it... Me!_

* * *

"ENOUGH!" I screamed aloud. The ceiling shook gently, my words echoed on in the room. I smiled at the man before me grimly and said, "Don't know why you came here... but no can do... The world of Terra... The Fairy King... well, long story short, it's my Atlamillia. I'm going to save Terra. It's my responsibility..."

The man chuckled. "I see... So you intend to use that stone to restore the world... A noble goal... But even if you restore the world, the destruction could repeat itself, unless you can defeat the Dark Genie." I had to agree with him there. the Dark Genie was going to be a constant problem unless he was taken care of.

"...Unfortunately, such a task is beyond your abilities." I flinched. Since when did he have a right to criticize me? He dosn't know what I've been through... then again... a Stone Statue doesn't look like it would put up much a fight against this man. I stayed quiet. He continued.

"it is a being powerful enough to destroy the world in an instant. No weapon or man can stand to face it alone..." I knew that... I did... I saw that with my own eyes...

Paige... she was gone because of that Genie...

"I've come to this place, or rather, this time, for that stone... I need that stone... more than you do actually. There is a great deal about that stone that you do not comprehend yet." I was about to ask him exactly what he meant when he said 'he came to this time', when his body started to shutter. He cried out violently. A purple mist that came from the ceiling poured into his mouth.

Then all was quiet... I thought he died there on the spot. What a horrible way to go... I called to him.

"Hey...?"

* * *

He started laughing...

It was deep, unnatural in his body... Someone was speaking through him. The voice... Who's or what was it...? Wait... why was it so familiar...

**_CAN YOU FEEL ME NOW BOY? GIVE UP YOU JOURNEY! i CAN DO THE SAME TO YOU AS WHAT I'M DOING TO HIM! YOU'RE NOTHING!_**

"He he... pardon me, I do ramble on sometimes." His eyes... they were blood red... I wanted to scream... I wanted to run... But I was frozen on the spot.

"Well, if you will not hand over the stone willingly... then I have no choice... Let's..." the man drew his sword before finishing, "...See what you can do." It was huge, double-edged, and had a red stone in the center of the guard that looked like an eye that was identical to the buckle of his belt. The hilt was blood red, and the guard was black and spiked at the tips.

The man jumped up to attack. It all looked like it was in slow motion. I watched each movement of his body: The flex of his muscles as he adapted to the weight of his sword and the air resistance of his fall. I moved to the right quickly, just as everything started moving back in normal motion. I grunted roughly as I got back into a defensive stance. He took a slash at my upper body, and I stepped back to avoid it.

He's fast! If I make even one wrong move I'll be finished! Damnit! Why the Terra did this have to happen now? I growled at him defiantly as he snickered and went for another slash. This one was faster than the last one, and I saw a slight opening in his attack. I took it.

There was no backing out now. I got down and rolled to the right of him, my back against the river. I stared him down, his eyes full of hate and anguish. I could see my own in them...

I liked what I saw... My eyes burned fiercly with desire; with courage and tenacity. I've never seen myself look like this... now I'm hoping I'll look like this all the time... I'll need this courage and this desire... this desire to live...! To move forward...! I'm not going to let him stop me!

The man snickered as we moved in a circle around the floor. His eyes taunted me... Those eyes...!

They really piss me off! I charged forward, bringing my Evilcise downward upon this man. He repelled it like it was nothing, and as I went for another slash, this time diagonal, he negated it just as easily as the first one, then moved to the side of me. I gasped just as he kicked me across my back, sending me to the ground flat on my face. I got back up, prepared for another round. He laughed at me and spoke again, the man's voice still controlled by that other...

"Hmmm... you did quite well. How's this then?" The man tilted his head as though pondering what I would do and brought his hand out in front of him. A purple light began to eminate from it. I knew this was bad! What do I do?

* * *

...Shaking against my left leg...

I risked the chance I was given and looked down.

She was shaking against my leg... the cat was shaking against my leg... The cat...THE cat... MY CAT...! I swore quietly to myself at how reckless I was not to notice her. She probably followed me down here... She's going to get killed if I move to dodge whatever he's about to unleash! I had no choice...

I brought my Evilcise in front of my body, and brought my left leg in front to take the force of the impact; my right I placed strategically behind me and turned it so that I wouldn't move...

That was what I was hoping anyway...

The man fired a beam of purple light out of his hand. It impacted my sword and I had to use all of my might to tilt my Evilcise so that it reflected the beam up to the ceiling.

Such force! I've never had to deal with anything with this kind of magnitude! I couldn't hold out for long...! I fell raggedly on my back like a discarded doll. I tried to get up but felt the tip of a sword on my neck. The man glared down at me angrily. I wiped blood off of my lip. I scowled at him heatedly, my final act of defiance if his blade should come down to end my life. He spoke patronizingly to me...

"Hmph, you amuse me boy. You can't even handle an attack as meager as this? You're not worthy of the stone." His eyes shifted to the left of my face, to the cat I narrowly avoided landing on. She was hissing at him, but her body was trembling. Her fangs were gleaming in the etherreal dungeon light. I found myself getting angry at him for having his tainted eyes on hers.

The man began to laugh, the force of it causing him to lift his head just to let it out. It was whole, but dark and empty all the same. I shuttered uneasily at this new development. He looked down at me again and said, "It's not that you couldn't dodge... You simply didn't dodge... deliberately. Fine then..." He withdrew his sword from my neck before saying, "That's it for today."

The man turned and began to walk away. A few feet away from me though he turned his head and said, "I think I'm beginning to see why the fairies chose you. It will be amusing to see how well you do." He paused before continuing, his voice deeper than before. "I will offer you some free information though. You cannot defeat the Dark Genie even with the stone. Not yet. If you have even a vague desire to defeat it you must become stronger." His voice at the last sentance seemed to carry some sympathy in it. I could have been wrong.

"Oh, I almost forgot..." I stood up then. The man tossed a bottle he pulled from his belt to me. I caught it in my hand.

"I have a gift for you. Have that little one return the favor. See you soon..." With that, the man walked away, fading slowly into the darkness.

I looked down at the bottle in my hand hard and annalyically. It was blue and round, with a flat bottom. It had a twisting handle and the contents inside were held in with a cork. The lable said 'Changing Potion'. I looked down at the cat, who seemed to be eyeing the bottle with me. Something danced in her eyes. I smiled at her, and she meowed in response before running off. A spark of lightning hit her and she became Atla. I sighed... it had been a long day... I collected the Atla with my cat and asked the Fairy King to take me out of the dungeon.

* * *

I wrote in my journal tonight. I was sore, but I managed...

_I put the town together today... or at least, what I had with me stored in the Atlamillia anyway. No one remember's much about what happened after the Dark Genie destroyed the village on our Harvest Day Festival. I got Paige's house together... though..._

_...Though the only thing missing now is Paige... I wonder when I'll find her... Pike's trying to cope, but it's not working... I can tell... It's in his voice... cracking and broken. Odd Gaffer's putting him to use, so I'm hoping that working with him will give Pike little time to think about his little girl... and knowing Gaffer... well, Pike will only have time to sleep..._

_My mother... Reene. She was ecstatic to see me... not so ecstatic about my scars won in battle... We fought... I guess it was a way for us to make up for lost time. She ended up crying... I love her. She was only mad because she couldn't protect me... I understand that. It's okay. We really never argue, and it's even rarer when she cries... I feel bad._

_I said my goodbye to the Mayor. He seemed relieved to get rid of me. Then again, I can't blame him. He doesn't exactly know how to handle kids. He's never had any, so its okay. I'm with my mom again, where I belong. The cat came to us. MY cat came to us. I named her Tyme... She's beautiful. I know this. I know other things too, like:_

_The Macho Brother's are secretly crushing on Alnet. It's really obvious though..._

_Claude loves cheese... though I think that more of it goes to the pet mouse he has._

_Alnet really likes Claude... She told me. Though, Claude's my age and Alnet is two years older than us... who am I to criticize right?_

_...I really miss Paige... do I like her...?_

* * *

I closed the journal quietly, reviewing it before I did and blushing at the last comment I left. Paige was cute. It wasn't as though we had a lot of history either... She understood me... I guess that's more or less why I like her. I sighed gently as I looked at the cat on my blankets. She was pawing the potion gently. I laughed as I took the bottle from her and looked at it...

"Changing Potion huh...? I guess it's worth a shot..." I smiled as I watched Tyme leave to downstairs from the balcony where I had my 'room'. There was a thump of her landing, then she appeared moments later climbing up the stairs with a bowl in her teeth. I laughed again.

Dran, how it felt good to laugh...

Tyme placed it down besides my foot and I opened the bottle. I eyed her suspiciously before warning her.

"I don't know what it'll do... and I want you to know that whatever happens might be permanent okay? I'm going to pour it, but the choice is yours on whether or not to drink it okay?..." Tyme meowed for me, cute and subtle. I poured the drink and smiled.

I yawned. I was tired. I watched her drink it gently, the milky white substance that came out of the potion was slowly disappearing into Tyme's mouth. I fell asleep gently.

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**Alrighty then ladies and gents! That's the end of Chapter 8! Stay tuned to for Chapter 9 coming to you soon! I hoped you liked it. The next chapter is the cutest part!... so far... Ha ha. I'm such a tease, batting you on like this. Oh, and Happy Halloween everyone. Just in time for all the people of the world who couldn't be freaks publicly to do it on this one night of the year. Go weirdos! I salute you as I join you on our rampage to take over the streets of the earth for a day!**

**Please review or comment! I greatly appreciate it!**


	9. Changes

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**So everyone, its that neglected time of year again humorously referred to as Turkey Day! For those of you who don't know what this means I'll explain it to you in layman's terms.**

**It's Thanksgiving Season, get it? So all of you can enjoy the turkeys that have to undergo the seasonal genocide each year due to the fact that we Americans enjoy being fat. Does that make it wrong?**

**Who cares! I loves me a nice slab of turkey on an omlette sandwich! ~Huzzah!~ (Fanfare plays!)**

**Anyway, while the turkeys are... voluteering... to go under the butcher's knife (snicker) you will be looking at this intro and probably thinking of three million ways to kill me for making Thanksgiving sound so horrible... Well, if you know your history, you'll know that Thanksgiving marked the end of the supremacy of Native American life on the North American continent!...**

**Thank Terra this story has absolutely nothing to do with that! Just thought I'd post my complaints publically, and now my time of rambling is over! Time to be me again!**

**I'm so very glad that all of you enjoyed my last chapter, though I still need to try harder to please and regain my old audience back as well as keep the attention of the new friends that I made. So...!**

**Without further adue, here's Chapter 9! Changes!**

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Birds were chirping merrily outside of the house. Sunlight loomed over the valley walls of Norune Village, sprinkling through the top window of a certain cylindrical two story house.

_...Five more minutes..._

I could feel the sun's warm fingers dance gracefully around the corners of my eyes, bringing my dreams to an abrupt end.

_...Ten more minutes..._

Stupid sun... I threw the covers over my head quickly to block out the sun...

Let me tell you that the sun does not like it when you blow off its morning wake up call... Unbearable heat bore through the protective shield that was my blankets... I grunted, feeling the temperature rise and feeling myself get hotter. I would not let it win. I steadied my will and waited.

This was a daily basis thing. I greatly dislike the morning, so therefore, Terra's sun most certainly does not like me.

I didn't wake up, it shone light directly into my closed eyelids.

I counter with my cover shield, it magnifies its light concentration. Then it all comes down to a battle of wills. The wills of me, Terra's sun, and the blanket. Speaking of... something was burning. Smelled like wool...

I threw the blanket off of me without opening my eyes and turned on my side. The burning wool smell went with it. I slipped my head under my pillow and felt the coolness of its dark underbelly take me slowly back to my dreamland. I felt heat intensify all over my body. Sun of a Fairy wouldn't give up... ha ha, 'Sun' and not son... I kill myself with humor...

_...Thirty more minutes..._

Something shifted besides me. It pressed against the entire length of my body gently, and I wrapped my arms instinctively around its softness. Something was brushing against my neck in a gentle steady rythm. I smiled at its touch. It was warm and pleasant. I moved onto my back and pulled the soft something with me. It laid on my chest, then I felt something a little hard settle on my left pec. I took a breath through my nose...

I smelled jasmine and lavender; a faint smell, but it sent soft colors of white and purple swimming lazily through my semi-unconsciousness. The something shifted again, nudging my pec slowly as it shifted up. The hard part was nestled on my shoulder now. Something else had taken the hard part's place atop my chest... soft... This put me out of my sleepyness.

I opened my eyes hesitantly, looking at the girl before me. Shock came in an instant, but I didn't move. I could move mind you, I chose not to. It... well, it seemed like a terrible thing to do... to wake up an angelic face like hers. The hard thing on my shoulder was her chin. I had to laugh as I placed feeling with body parts. Her head on my shoulder, her torso on mine, her slender legs curled around mine. I found my hands running themselves through her auburn hair gently. It was coarse at first, then farther in it became softer than silk. My eyes found themselves staring gently at her lips. They were slim, a girl's lips, but they looked soft. Tempting.

I shook my head, and I jumped slightly when I heard a sound eminate from her. A yawn. She was yawning. I couldn't help but smile at the sight...

And then I realized what a sight it was...

I zoomed out of the bed and threw the covers over her quickly. Why hadn't I realized before that she was naked? She looked at me with startled shock. I couldn't help but look back, back into those eyes that I know I've seen before...

"Tyme?..." I found myself asking her, my lips forming the words out loud before I could call them back. She rubbed her eyes sleepily as she sat up, the blanket falling around her waist. I turned my head quickly in embarrassment. I wasn't supposed to look at girls when they were indecent... only grownups were allowed to do that sort of thing right?

"Master, why don't you look at Tyme?..." Tyme inquired gently.

"Tyme? Wait it is you?" I asked her quickly, my mind running the situation through my head over and over, but it still didn't make sense. How could Tyme-?

"You know it's Tyme master... you watched Tyme drink from her bowl before you fell asleep..." That's right! The Changing Potion! Somehow... somehow whatever was in that potion... it changed Tyme into a human girl!

"Tyme have you noticed that you higher from the ground when you look down...?" That was the only way I could tell her by putting it lightly... There was a squeal, followed by what sounded like Tyme throwing the blanket around her body. The sun's heat faded away, assuming it had woken me up.

_This isn't over Mr. Sun... oh no its not..._

"Master, how did Tyme become a human? What happened? Are you, some sort of Wizard master?" I had to turn around now... She was decent... that was good. The blankets hugged her body tightly, and I couldn't help but stare and how well her body was shaped, even if- how convenient- she was my age. I was quiet; my words caught tightly in my throat with no sign of coming out.

"Stupid sun, this isn't over... _sigh_..." I covered my face with my left hand. Thoughts were swirling through my head: most of them indecent but pleasant... innocent for the most part... I'm so confused now... I don't like this...

"Stupid horomones...-"

"What was that master?" Tyme enquired calmly.

"Nothing Tyme... in any case, don't call me master... I'm Forever okay?" I cut her off, removing my hand from my face. I caught her looking at me, and felt my cheeks turn the same color as her hair... red.

"What is it Tyme...?"

"Master Forever is a very handsome person..." Tyme declared happily, her lips curving into a smile. I couldn't help but smile back...

I needed to talk to my mother...

* * *

"So Forever, you found yourself an Ally, and a cute one at that! She's a looker, that she is!" The Fairy King bellowed behind me as I scrubbed wool against a washing board in the front of the house. That old geezer... he never learns to just-

**SMACK!**

"I hear that thought mind you, you inconsiderate ingrate..." The Fairy King quipped as me brought his staff back to his side. I rubbed my head vigorously, egging the pain away. "Why so defensive Forever? Is it because of-"

**SMACK!**

"Owowowowowowow! What was that for Forever?" The Fairy King remarked as he rubbed his head. I slid my Evilcise back into my belt and grumbled silently as I patted the hilt. The old man had that coming. I continued to scrub the wool.

"I already know what you're going to say. Your manual told me. Pages 816-824." I sneered as i observed my handiwork. The wool looked clean, and it only took three hours of scrubbing.

"Yeah, well, the manual won't have eveything there written out for you!" The Fairy King jeered as he stuck his tongue out at me mockingly. I paid no mind as I walked away up the steps of the house. I knocked on the door and a hand creeped out plaintively. I handed it the wool and it shrunk back into the house. I closed the door quietly and looked at the Fairy King who sat at the foot of the stairs. I walked down to him. Might as well listen to his ramblings... I had time to kill...

* * *

"Forever! Come on, I've finished sewing! Come look at her now!" Reene, my mother, called from the house. I looked to my side to find the Fairy King had disappeared just in time. I stood and walked up to the door. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. I shook my head and stopped my trembling knees. What did I have to be nervous about? It's not like I'm back in Divine Beast Cave, it's just Tyme and some new clothes... Sheesh. I turned the knob and went inside...

And I found that I had every right to be nervous... as soon as I closed the door I recognized her. That auburn hair was hard to miss. Her back was to me. I closed the door gently behind me and watched her ears twitch towards the sound of the door latch clicking into place. It was a cute movement, one that I found endearing and absolutely adorable. I blushed a little, finding it hard not to. If this was the way our aquaintanceship was going to start out as... well, might as well paint my cheeks permanently red...

She turned, the new dress on her flowed indifferently as she spun in place. Reene had made a dress, some ankle and wrist warmers and some shorts for her out of the wool we got from the llama downstairs. Mom was amazing when it came to making clothes. The world slowed down for her, and I watched as she twirled gently, majestic in the etherreal light of sunset. It was as though mother nature had bore Tyme herself and was showing her daughter off on this day, at this time. He hair flowed gracefully.

"Beautiful..." I found myself whispering. Tyme stopped, and looked at me, her face flushed and embarrassed.

"Thank you master Forever..." I hadn't realized that I said that out loud. I smiled as sweetly as I could, only to realize that she was already smiling back at me. I found myself turning red again...

"Forever, you'll need to make her some shoes. You know I've never been any good at that, and you've always had a knack for it. Will you do that for me?" Renee asked gently, nudging me with her elbow as she walked to my side and admired her work.

* * *

I've decided to write again in my Adventure Log. It's what I'm going to call it now, because, well... that's exactly what it is...

* * *

_Well, today... was a very interesting day I guess... I met someone..._

_...She's beautiful, and amazing... and her eyes... Well, everything about her is amazing. Her name is Tyme... and she used to be my cat..._

_I say used to, because she USED to be. That potion that the man gave me back on the eighth floor... it turned her into a human girl... well, mostly human._

_She still has claws... and a tail... (and the most adorable cat ears I have ever seen! Though... they look more like rabbit ears... oh well.) _

_I'm almost done making her shoes... I've decided on ankle support, since well, watching her walk... she still thinks she has to crawl on all fours... She's had me blushing all day... I wonder. Nah, its nothing right? I can't get her out of my head... or my bed... She's sleeping with 'Master Forever' again today... its a cute nickname I'll admit, but, I want to her call me Forever. Just Forever..._

_She caught a bug in her mouth near the end of the day. It was really adorable. I made her spit it out, but still..._

_Things I know:_

_The man on the eighth floor is right. I'm not strong enough to beat the Dark Genie. And the voices in my head have stopped for now... I'm glad..._

_There's something about them..._

_Oh. and My mother had developed a daughter complex towards Tyme... though, I kinda already see Tyme as well, you know. Wow, it's even hard to write on paper._

_Later._

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I crawled into bed, this time with a guest. Tyme made herself comfortable on the other side. She was fast asleep by the time I finished writting. I watched her helplessly, taking in by her beautiful sleeping figure. I took off my shirt and went to sleep. And I dreamed again...

Of her... When I came to in the middle of the night, Tyme was sleeping on me the way she was this morning...

I'll let her do it... no harm done right...? Besides, her body on mine... it seems so right... and as long as I'm not well, naked with her, its okay... I think... sigh...

**_I'm such a pervert..._**

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Whoo! Finito ladies and gentlemen! I'm so sorry that it took so long, but I wanted to make it super for all of you! Ha ha. I love the cuteness of this one...

Though some of you might have hurled chunks, but I was going for that too! I loved writting this, and it took me forever... he he he... to come up with what you're seeing.

Next time! Ch.10! Farewell to a Beginning! See you soon!

Please comment or review! Thank you!


	10. The End Of The Beginning! Part 1!

**Hello Everyone... I hope you all enjoyed your christmases! Because I'm about to give you the latest but bestest christmas gift ever! It's called...**

**A chapter update! Yay! One that you all have been dying to wait on, and I like to deliver... granted its late. And it usually is... at the expense of both me and my readers... Eh hehe... _' Anyway!**

**It is time to get this party rolling along! All for the sake of Christmas! Whoo! Presents! I loved Christmas! I say I loved christmas because, well!**

**It's over now. Hence, the fact that the trees have all come down and the morbidity of all this lovely human kindness one time a year crap that is really a lie is finally over! It is time to get back to work return to our usual lives that may or may not be dandy! Frack you reality! I destroy you with my Reality Cannon, equipt with hot chocolate maker and cup holders!**

**So prepare for this fanfiction to take on a radical change! Maybe... I don't know. Probably will actually...**

**Or not... ^-^ Ha ha! Well, it's finally come to this ladies and gents! The end of the Norune Saga! The End of a Beginning, prepare for twists and turns, roller coaster spins... **

**And a little romance along the way. Here we go!**

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The morning came silently. I nudged Tyme into a consciousness gently. She mumbled something about not letting the sun have his way with master and her. I smiled and leaned down. I kissed her cheek tenderly and whispered, "Wake up Tyme..."

"Forever, don't do that... you know what it does to me... I haven't tamed human emotions yet... especially not the one you're enticing right now..."

I only smiled in return. she turned and laid down on her back to get a better look at me. The sunlight danced around her light skin, making her glow. Her hair looked like fire. It sent a shiver down my spine. I shook my head defiantly, unwilling to let my emotions get the better of me. She pulled me close to her, her body filling the gaps between us, fitting snuggly in place against me. I blushed, only to find Tyme blushing as well. She wrapped her arms around my neck affectionately and pulled herself up, the blanket falling gently down her body. Despite this, my eyes found hers.

She moved her head forward gently, and rested her chin on my right shoulder. I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her back to support her. She rubbed her chin against my shoulder, a sign of both affection and claiming territory I learned to distinguish. Right now it was affection, though when its around certain girls, it territorial...

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_Adventure log..._

_It's been four weeks since I've been with Tyme. Well... Technically a month I guess. In total since the start of my journey, its been one month, four days, sixteen hours... and based on the light of the moon that I'm writting with... thirteen minutes... give or take a few._

_Tyme has learned our language, and in exchange, I've learned hers. On top of that, I've learned her body language as well... Score for me I guess... _

_She made me laugh today... We found the Atla with Paige in it today. When we released her... well..._

_Tyme hissed at her. I would say I'm joking, but... I'm not. Hahaha. I guess Tyme felt the emotional bond between us just come into place and felt a little threatened. Suffice to say, I will have to visit Paige on my own now, or try to get Tyme to be more... understanding towards her..._

_I highly doubt that will happen soon..._

_I've made her a slingshot. I think that stands as a great primary weapon. It says in the manual to equipt it to her using the 'x button'..._

_Either the Fairy King gets a kick out of putting random stuff in that manual of his... or I'm missing something._

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_Adventure log..._

_This would make day... fifty-six I think? I'm not too sure anymore. The sun and the moon travel with the same monotonous pace as always. They've begun to blur. Tyme is doing exceptionally well with her combat training. She hit a pebble with a smaller pebble and broke it into pieces... from the other side of Norune Village. The target pebble? On the top of the Mayor's house. She's getting pretty good with it, though she tends to steal my sword from me..._

_And she's started to match even with my swordplay as well. She's getting good at it, albeit a little sloppy at some points, but she's moving into the flow almost as naturally as I did when I was younger. But I'm training under the moonlight when she sleeps... Can't let her get the better of me right?_

_Well, later!_

_Things I know:_

_Tyme's growing more beautiful with each passing day..._

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_Adventure log..._

_Well! The time has finally arrived! It's time to meet Dran... wish us luck I guess... Wonder what this guy is like... Surprisingly, everyone knows this Dran person, but have no idea what he looks like...Weird... Oh, this is day... two months?_

_Things I know:_

_I've grown a little muscle... score!_

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And here we are now, up against the door of the 14 floor of Divine Beast Cave...

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"Master... I mean, Forever. I feel... anxious?" Tyme confided in me as we ate before the large door. The fire we had going was small but warm, cave bat cooking slowly on a stick. Hey, don't knock it 'till you try it alright?

"I... yeah, I feel that way too. But hey, it's not like we'll have to fight him or anything right? Everyone said that Dran would help, and I've no reason to doubt everyone right?" I consoled her as I studied the door. Large, stone slabs, double door. On each side is a half of a face of some mythical creature. I've never seen it before. Maybe Dran just though the picture up himself and carved it. Though, I can't get the thought out of my head that we're about to step into the 'Skeleton Soldier's pit'.

"You're probably right master... though..."

"Though what Tyme?" I enquired as i turned to face her. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, focusing on nothing, but deep in thought. I waited quietly, my mind also quietly debating the near future...

"Forever, I'm not so sure this... meeting with Dran will be cut and clean... I think we better be prepared." Tyme said sullenly. When she looked up... her eyes... They were so sad...

I moved, faster than even I had expected to go, over to Tyme. I brought her to her feet and wrapped my arms around her, holding her as tightly as I could. I wanted so badly to made the sadness disappear from her eyes, to make her feel safe, secure...

_... loved...?_

I felt her hands grasp my poncho gently. Her head nestled gently against my chest. I could feel her trembling. I held her tighter, to keep her from trembling, though in my heart, I knew I meant that I never wanted her to tremble ever again.

Then her sobs came... gently at first, but minutes passed and the sobs grew into bawling. I could feel her legs giving out from underneath her and I moved to lift her into my arms and craddle her. She did not resist, only burried her head deeper into my poncho. I moved down to sit slowly, careful not to let her beauty touch the ground... only me... only me...

I felt helpless but so in control. Two opposing emotions clashing against each other within the heart... my heart. All the while I kept saying, "It's okay Tyme, it's all okay. It's just you and me Tyme, nothing or no one else. It'll all be okay. I won't let anything hurt you." Over and over again. But I couldn't help but wonder how much words help in times like this. I hope the answer to that is 'a lot'.

* * *

"well, there goes breakfast, haha..." I said jokingly as I threw the now burned cave bats into the fire. They would turn to ashes and the fire would suffocate itself in time. The real dilema here was...

"Master... are you ready?" Tyme asked me. I shifted gently, balancing out the weight of the Evilcise in my hand with the rest of my body. Tyme held her Sharp Shooter at the ready. It was quiet, unsettling. I placed the Dran's Key into place between the two doors. A first nothing happened... Then a loud rumbling from beyond the door shook the Terra at our feet. The doors opened inwardly slowly. Wind erupted from the other side as the room before us swallowed the oxygen in ours. We braced ourselves, making ourselves as heavy as possible to prevent the gust from throwing us in. When it stopped the pressure had changed, and though we didn't see it, the fire we had left behind was long gone.

"I'm going to give it what I can Tyme..." I answered her finally. We stepped inside the room. It was large and mystifying, but barren and torn. The room was probably well over one hundred feet tall, round, maybe sixty feet in diameter. The walls were composed of the all-natural Terra of the ground. Maybe seventy feet up, there was a balcony, but no door on the base where we stood. I was beginning to wonder was going on when a roar errupted from the balcony above. A mighty beast stood before us, thick fur of tan with a brown spot on its back. Two small horns poked out of the top of its head. Large red beady eyes danced on each side of its head. Two large wings lay against its back waiting to expand and unleash thier full potential.

I couldn't move. That thing stood menacingly over the me and Tyme, picking off which one would deem faster to capture.

"Master...!" Her voice was full of terror.

I know Tyme! Give me a minute!" I bellowed over the beast's otherworldly roar. I had to think! I didn't have time to sit still! Lives were at stake!

"Forever! Focus! He's been taken over by the Dark Genie!" A voice came from my side. I turned, only to find the Fairy King standing before me.

"What the Terra is that thing?"

"That thing is Dran, Forever! And he's being controlled by the Dark Genie, and even I have no power here. It's up to you Forever! You have to stop his rampage and bring back Dran! Dispell him, and unleash the true Dran from within!"

"How the Terra am I supposed to do that Fairy King?" I started, but by then he was gone. I cursed under my breath angrily as I brought my sword up.

"Forever!"

"Tyme!" We knew what we needed from those words alone. She needed me, and I needed to protect her. She wanted my protection and I wanted to give it. She was looking for safety, but right now, I could provide none.

A Terra shaking roar brought me out of my trance as I watched Dran take to the skies. He loomed over us as he circled the sky above. The winds the wings started up could be felt even from all the way down here.

"Hold firm Tyme!" I commanded as i braced myself as well. Thmythical creature Dran descended slowly in wide spirals, much like a bird of prey stalks its next kill. Dran roared, but its sound was softer, more ominous. I could smell something different in the air. Something that wasn't there before. The air was less breathable...

Dran let a large ball of fire errupt forth from his mouth, a fire ball of colossal size.

"Tyme! Run!" I screamed as I realized the target Dran had chosen. Tyme looked up, her eyes wide with the terror. She turned towards me and fell down on all fours, her mad dash to safety beginning. The fireball came down with tremendous speed and power. I couldn't let her die! I couldn't let her die!

Tyme slipped...

The fireball came down around her...

"Tyme! Tyme!"

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**Tune in everyone! Please comment or review! I would greatly appreciate it!**


	11. The End Of The Beginning! Part 2!

**Well met everyone! It has come to my attention that for the life of me, I have not advanced my little piece de resistance, aka, this fanfiction. So...! Without further adeu... Da dadada!**

**I am updating, and you can expect another few chapters in a very short amount of time so yay! My writer's block is over! Everyone may huzzah me...! **

**And worship me as their demigod... I kid.**

**No I don't... Bow to me naives! (Wears crown to big for his head, falls onto neck. Trips, spikes on crown impale author...)**

**I just died. Oh well... Good thing I did all this in advance huh? .**

**So now then... Let's get the formalitites out of the way and get this show on the road!**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Cloud of the Dark variety. **

**Claimer: I owneth the characters and story concept within. Take that big corporate lawyers!**

**Funness: Thank you all for reading! Especially...**

**well... Everyone! Thanks!**

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"Tyme!" I dove, ignoring the danger around me with reckless abandon. She was falling, the ground around her collapsing. I _had_ to make it in time.

_I need to make it in time!_

I stormed towards her, my legs pumping with a scary speed I've never known before. Tyme's eyes locked onto mine. I could see them, could see her. The glimmer of hope she had, and the sureness she held. I knew that she was giving her life to me. She was certain that I would save her. Certain that I would get to her in time. Certain that I could prevent her death. That I, for even just a moment, could be her Simba, her god. And I believed it too.

A roar erupted from above and fireballs reigned down around me. I dodged with quick ease. The ground quaked and broke, but I held fast, moving from space to space, my eyes never leaving hers. Heat surrounded one of my legs, but I ignored it and pressed on. A few more steps and I would be there. And _I WILL SAVE HER!_

_**You can't save her. She's doomed to die. And you'll let her. Because you know that she's nothing to you...**_

_Shut up!_

_**YOU CAN'T SAVE HER! SHE'S DOOMED! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET IN TOO DEEP!**_

_SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!_

**_SHE WILL DIE! YOU CANNOT CHANGE THIS! LEAVE HER TO SUFFER! THIS IS DESTINY!_**

"FUCK MY DESTINY!" I thrust my sword into the edge of the floor as I jumped. I threw my body at Tyme. Her eyes held tears in them, ones I hoped were of happiness. I reached my hand out to her, and she reached for mine.

Connection.

At the last moment i reached for the blade of my sword jutting out of the edge. I caught it, with painful consequences. I could already feel the blood trickling down my arm as the pain in my hand seared. Tyme looked up at me. I caught her glance for a moment. She began to climb steadily up my body, careful not to shift the balance of the weight against my blade too much or it would break. Tyme's body pressed against mine in a gentle embrace as she went, her face level with mine. Her ember eyes studied me carefully, just as mine studied hers. They held a smile deep inside. I wondered why, but before I could fully, lips met mine.

My strength left me for a moment as my body focused all of its concentration on what was happening. Tyme's lips were soft, gentle, caressing mine, with a hint of gentle teasing. Mine felt rough, but kind, strong. It seemed that one complimented the other. I would look back on this later with a great happiness.

"Tyme, come on. We need to get up." I said through her lips. Tyme nodded, the flushed look on her face mimicked my own. She went on her way gracefully and with no trouble. The extra weight of her body was soon gone, and I began my climb back up to her. I could hear the bellows of the ancient beast Dran above me, but I was too focused on getting to solid ground to care. Pain ran its course throughout my body from my hand as I shifted my weight to it as I climbed. Before long I was back on solid ground, hands around the hilt of my blade.

* * *

"That... (huff)... was... (wheeze)... quite difficult master..." Tyme said through gasps of breath. She dared not look at her Forever though. Articles of clothing were ripped to shreds from fire damage or claw swipes from Dran. Forever's poncho lay in tattered ruins on the floor a little ways away from them, burning softly. Her own was almost falling off, if it weren't for Forever's quick thinking and excellent threading abilities. Though Forever already commented on how he would need to mend it at home, Tyme got the feeling that her master was a little down.

* * *

Istood near my burning poncho, struggling and winning in an effort to hold back the tears that were threatening to come down. I've had that ponch ever since I was born, put together by a father I could barely remember anymore. It was large at first, I remembered being covered in it like a blanket at night as a baby, and always finding comfort in its softness and its feel of warm, tender love. The second creation of love from my parents, the first being, of course, me, Forever. As I grew older, I had grown out of it, but rather than throw it out like my mother wanted, (by then, father was gone) I added layers to it, making it longer with each year to accommodate my growing stature. With each year came a different color.

And now it was gone... the only other momento I had now was that of the dagger my mother had given me when I was twelve. The last surprise from my father, I wasn't allowed to have it until the time was right, and Renee thought my twelfth birthday was time enough. The dagger I held in my hand was all I had left.

"Father... I'm sorry... I'm forgetting you... but I don't want to... I may be growing up, but I want to keep you around... Please, don't go from me yet." I pleaded quietly, my voice betraying myself as it trembled. Catlike paws wrapped themselves around my waist, and I couldn't help but smile.

"Master..."

"I'm okay Tyme... I will be. I have you, remember?" Just to make sure that she wouldn't worry, I turned to face her. My hand found the spot under her chin that she would basically die for me to pet. Immediately, the loud purrs rumbled gently from her throat, out her nose. It was somewhat arousing, though I would not admit that to her. I mean, what would she think? I can't do that to her.

"Oh yes forever... yes... yes..." Tyme purred, her body closing the distance between us, pressing itself against me, her skin brushing against mine through some of the holes in her top that occured from the fight against Dran. Her skin was soft, inviting, caressing. My other arms wrapped itself around her petite frame, closing the gap, my hand still scratching under her chin. I could feel her fully now, all of her. The heat coming from her body, the feeling of pleasure I was sure was coming from her as well.

"That feels so good Forever..."

"I'd better stop. You seem a little too into it Tyme." I forced a laugh, but inside I was nervous as hell. She was inticing something inside of me that i wasn't familiar with... something new... something not even Paige made me feel.

"Master, your face is all red... are you sick?" Tyme pointed out my blush, and I turned away and said quickly "I'm fine..." Immediately, fuzzy paws wrapped themselves around my waist and I could already feel her head nudging my back gently.

"That's good... I couldn't live without you..." I turned around. Had she actually said that? Tyme? _**MY Tyme?**_ I swallowed hard, and looked into her eyes, her beautiful amber eyes.

"Tyme, do you realize what you're saying...?" I looked at her long and hard, her eyes were clouded in thought. I could almost see what she was thinking about before she blinked and brought her lips to mine...

I melted. Absolutely melted. The only working part of my body seemed to be my lips, which craddled hers in a tender embrace. My arms found their energy, and wrapped themsleves around hers firmly, pressing her body against mine. A gentle moan escaped her lips. I smiled between kissing her.

* * *

"I'm starving..." Tyme proclaimed as she sat on the rug of Old Gaffer's shop. I couldn't help but laugh, even if I was supposed to be concentrating. The new Windmill Slash was harder to master than I had intended, especially since putting what I've read on the scroll and doing what it says is harder than it seemed. My body was covered in a light layer of sweat, my torso exposed to the weather. I have yet to make a new poncho, but for the time being, learning this seemed more important.

"We'll... eat... in... a bit." I told Tyme gently through breaths. I was feeling myself get closer to mastering this, but not now. I was too tired. I laughed as I let myself fall back into the grass of the backyard. Tyme tilted her head playfully in curious observation, and I patted the ground next to in confirmation. She sprinted on all fours to the spot and made herself comfortable, moving in a circle a few times before laying down. Her head nestled on my bare chest, I found a piece of wheat on the ground and plucked it. I lifted it into the air above Tyme's head, and animal instinct took over.

She was quick, on her hands and knees in seconds. Her eyes darted too and fro as I moved the piece of wheat from left to right mockingly. One hard darted for it, my hand moved swiftly out of the way. The next hand came around swiftly, and she caught a small piece of the wheat within her grasp. I had to be quicker. She tried again. Miss. And again. Missed twice. She was pawing it on the ground now, her playfulness and hunting instinct never leaving her. I moved it just out of her reach each time, her eyes darting to and fro, calculating, but fast, never missing a beat. Her determined purring never stopping.

Then she looked up at me, and I knew I had lost. Her lips grazed my cheek and my fingers became loose. The wheat fell from my hands, and Tyme swiped it in triumph. She beamed up at me proudly, victory hers. I stuck my tongue out in playful defiance. She smiled even brighter, then her attention fell back to her now captured prey. I looked up at the night sky, the two moons were beginning their dance across the valley. My thoughts trailed back to Dran and the legend of the Dark Genie. It had the power to control the King of Beasts... and still rain down destruction from the sky. I brought my left hand up, the Atlamillia glowing gently in the moonlight. Did I really have the power to defeat it? Would I die in the process? How could I defeat it? Was it even possible?

I sighed, and there was a shriek besides me, I turned my head just in time to see a large blur of furr smack itself into me. Tyme and I rolled a few feet away from the force of her impact. When I finally got control, Tyme was behind me, hissing mennacingly.

"It moved! Tried to attack me Forever!" Tyme proclaimed, her hissing continuing. I laughed. She got scared because the wind moved the wheat towards her. I kissed her cheek, and the hissing ceased. the blush on her face was priceless. I would hold that memory for a while.

"Let's get some food shall we?"

"Yes, master."

* * *

"So...?"

I nodded silently. My mother clapped her hands and smiled. "I knew you would like the new fish soup recipe!" Love was an understatement. The empty bowl which was about to be filled again, had already been filled four times before. I was reaching my filling point, but I couldn't stop. Neither could Tyme, who was already on her seventh bowl. I was beginning to wonder where we put it all when the bowl came back to me, filled to the brim. I could wait to wonder. Right now, heaven was about to hit my stomach.

The lanterns were turned off one by one. Darkness began its slow cosumption of the house, filling in where light used to be. I sat down on the edge of the bed as I took off my boots and pants.

"Forever...?" I stopped. A warm body brushed itself against my back affectionately. My body lit up, my cheeks turned red.

"T-Tyme?" I managed to stammer. She came into view then, her naked body moved in front of mine. "Tyme..." I tried to say more, but her finger touched my chest, silencing further sound.

"Does it hurt?" Tyme asked, her skin glowing in the moonlight. She looked like an angel, fragile, beautiful. I looked to where she was pointing. A scar ran itself up my pec and ended near my neck. I shook my head gently. That was an older wound, one I got from forgetting that there was more than just a Dasher in the room. A Master Jacket came from behind me as I was turning and I just barely managed to get out of the way from a near fatal strike.

"... Can I see them all?" I knew what she was really asking. I smiled shyly as I took of my underwear and laid down on the bed for her. The moonlight hit my skin from the window, and I watched as she crawled up to me onto the bed. She sat herself on my abdomen, just above my legs, the flushed look on my face growing more and more real with each passing moment. She wanted to see my body, all of it, and the stories it had to tell.

"Will you tell me about them... Forever?" I nodded, though I had no idea how I would tell her when speech was beyond me right now. I cleared my throat, and slowly began. Her fingertips grazed one scar, and I would explain where it came from. with each story came a new touch, each one becoming more and more affectionate than the one before. At the end of each story, Tyme would let her fingers graze the scar, before leaning down to lick it with her tongue. Waves of pleasure coursed themselves through me as her tongue passed through each scar. I understood the notion. When she licked, Tyme believed that she was helping to erase the scar, to help heal the wound. Still... I didn't want her to know about my arousal towards her actions...

"Tyme..." She laid herself down on me, her lips trailing kisses across my cheek and to my lips. I kissed her affectionately, understanding completely. She had planned this, know what the result of her actions would be, known what the act of what might occur would mean. Tyme's thighs grazed mine, and two certain areas touched. Tyme looked at me with a face of pleasure and embarrassment painted on it. I brushed the amber hair away from her face and smiled sweetly.

"You know what this means Tyme...?" I looked at her seriously, my hands found her naked hips.

"Yes... It will mean that I'm forever bonded to you through this act of... of..."

"Of love making Tyme, yes... are you sure you want to be forever bonded with me Tyme?"

"Yes, master. Forever bonded with my Forever."

"Until the end of my Tyme..." She moved, and I moved with her. As she laid herself onto her back, I moved and wrapped the blankets around us silently. I moved on top of her and she smiled shyly as she let her hand cup my cheek. I nodded, and I entered her.

And the bond between Forever and Tyme was formed...

* * *

**Whoo! Completed! Golly gee it took forever for this one! Mostly due to writer's block...**

**,' He he he... Thanks a lot everyone for keeping me going and for all the encouragement and kind words.**

**Anyway, wow that was steamy... So much well, you know...**

**I loved the play on their name and the references between time and eternity (Forever). All intentional. Ha ha. Whoo!**

**So happy! Ha ha. Be prepared for the next chapter, hopefully coming soon... Sorry for the wait everyone and I hope this chapter was well worth its weight!**

**Comment or review. I would greatly appreciate it!**


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